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The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons, Napoleon Hill’s 1,600+ page monstrosity published prior to Think and Grow Rich, contains a lot of useful information that can help you realise your potential. In this series, Joshua Moore covers each of these attributes in a practical way that you can apply to your life and work. Today he discusses Lesson Three: Self-Confidence.

Also in this series:

• Lesson #1: The Master Mind
• Lesson #2: A Definite Chief Aim

Self-confidence is something that is often overlooked by many people on their journey to success. Many people don’t believe in themselves. You only need to take a look at one of the first few episodes in any of The Biggest Loser series to realise that many people are not successful because they don’t believe they have it within themselves to reach that success. As a result, they end up more and more depressed and self-conscious.

Luckily, however, there is a way to gain confidence. The first step is to know that confidence is area specific to begin with. A person on The Biggest Loser may not be confident in the way they look but might have a great sense of humour and ability to support others, for example. You cannot be confident in everything, but you can be confident in the area of your definite chief aim in life.

How do you gain confidence? You can begin to gain confidence by taking the following steps:

1: Eliminate fear

The first step to self confidence is to overcome fear. For years I have been afraid of swimming but I finally decided that the only way I was going to get better was to take action.

2: Determine your definite chief aim

Wanting to help others to reach their potential, I first need to focus on reaching my own. Learning to swim matches with my definite chief aim in life as well as my goal of learning to swim.

3: The confidence formula

The confidence formula begins when you convert energy (or your electrical impulse of thought) into matter over time.

Energy + Matter
—————–
Time

The first step is to document your objective. In the last few months of 2009 I documented my goals and other things I wanted to accomplish. On that list was ‘learning to swim’.

4: Take action

Taking action on learning to swim began when I booked some swimming lessons. Since then my swimming is improving each week, I have overcome my fear and I feel more confident in myself.

5: Get a mentor

Find someone who has done what you are attempting to achieve and ask them to mentor you. A mentor can help save you from making a lot of mistakes while giving you assistance and connections that you may not otherwise have had access to.

6: Remember your ethics

Ethics don’t play a part in swimming, but it is paramount that when gaining self-confidence you don’t do so exploiting others in the process. Al Capone might have become wealthy but he did so illegally and at the expense of other people. Such success and confidence cannot be maintained long term.

People who have followed this process have managed to do well in their lives. Neil Strauss, author of ‘The Game: penetrating the secret society of pick up artists‘, learned how to meet women. LeoBabauta of Zen Habits has become a bestselling author, a leading blogger and runs several of his own businesses. Richard Branson built a leading brand despite being afraid of public speaking. John Rockefeller built a massive fortune that has helped sustain his family for generations.

How can you take action to overcome your fears? Could you increase your area specific self confidence?

Actions

1. Using your definite chief aim, follow the above steps to develop your self-confidence.
2. Be willing to overcome fears. Napoleon Hill said the six basic fears were: fear of old age, fear of death, fear of criticism, fear of loss of love, the fear of poverty and the fear of criticism. Which fears are holding you back?
3. Convert your thought into matter. Write it down.
4. Continue to take action today! It doesn’t matter how small, but make sure every day you are working towards your goal.

Joshua Moore is the founder of Moore Thought, a website dedicated to helping people tap their mind and reach their potential in life.